Doctor insights on:
Can Birth Control Pills Get Rid Of Ovarian Cysts

1

Sort of:
If you have the normal follicular / physiologic ovarian cysts that occur for every woman during every cycle, then yes the pill will usually suppress the ovaries and the cysts will usually lessen with time.
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Also known as oral contraceptives, birth control pills are highly effective oral medications that use hormones to prevent pregnancy. There are two main types of birth control pills: one with estrogen and progestin (also known as the combination pill) and one with just progestin. The two main ways they prevent pregnancy are: 1) The hormones thicken the cervical mucous, which keeps sperm from entering the uterus on their way to the egg; and 2) By maintaining a level of hormone in the blood stream that prevents the ovaries from releasing eggs.
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4

No guarantees:
Many options will make it more likely not to have bleeding, but most take time to work, and aren't guaranteed--often have irregular unpredictable bleeding for awhile: extended cycle birth control pills --40-60% no bleeding after a year, the shot--depo provera--50% no periods after a year; the hormone iid--20-60% no periods after a year.
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7

Maybe:
Studies have shown that because birth control pills decrease the chance of ovulation, they may also reduce the formation of new functional ovarian cysts. They will not make a cyst you have now go away any faster then without medication.
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8

Err....:
Kinda, sort of. Depends what kind of a cyst it is. "functional cysts" may go away with ocp, but they will usually go away on their own too. Non-functional cysts like endomtrioma, dermoid, ovarian tumors will not respond to ocp at all.
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9

Maybe:
Birth control pills (especially monophasic pills--or those that have the same dose of hormones every day of the hormonally active pills) may be helpful in relieving some premenstrual symptoms--such as bloating, cramps, breast tenderness, or even mood changes. It's not easy to predict who will have a benefit, and some women have worsening symptoms.
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10

PCOS:
If you have PCOS it cannot be "gotten rid of" or cured. Overweight women with PCOS can improve cycles and symptoms with weight loss, but many with PCOS are not overweight. Medicines, including but not limited to birth control pills can help, for some women there is a surgical procedure that can be used.
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12

Months:
usually, once you start taking the pills, they will prevent further follicular cyst formation and prevent new cysts from forming. They usually prevent pre-existing cysts from growing further and may over time allow shrinkage. It does however takes weeks to months.
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13

Take pill on time:
The commonest cause of of break through bleeding is missing pills or being late on pills. So taking the pills about the same time every day is important. If the person still has btb it might be because the hormones in the pill she is on aren't in the correct balance so trying a different formulation can solve the problem.
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17

Can regulate periods:
Ocps are standard treatment for pcos. They can help to artifically "regulate" your periods. But they don't 'fix' the underlying hormonal imbalance. This is harder to do. The pills are impt - b/c they 'protect' the endometrium from the chronic overexposure to estrogen in pcos pts and thereby decrease the risks for pcos pts to get endometrial cancer in the future.
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18

No, but:
Taking birth control pills is pretty good at suppressing (or preventing) formation of large ovarian cysts. When you stop taking pills your body begins to produce eggs and ovulate again, and so cysts will form (but its what your ovaries are supposed to be doing, just not supposed to be making very large ones).
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19

Yes:
Worldwide ocp's (the pill) have remained most popular, but with so many excellent alternatives, that may be changing. A generic pill is probably most cost effective. The "pill" when considering pregnancy as a risk, has continued to remain one of the safest options avail.
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20

In general:
...The failure rate of all modern oral contraceptives is pretty similar; if taken perfectly it's near 2%. Allowing for errors and less-than perfect compliance it's closer to 5-10%. I have not heard personally of failure on that pill, but assume the risk is the same as other pills.
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22

Short time:
Contraceptive pills are most likely effective within 1-2 weeks of beginning. However, it is safest to use a backup method during the first cycle, unless you're starting the pills immediately during a normal menses. Not all ovarian cysts are suppressed no matter how long you are taking the pill. There should be some suppression of cysts beginning with the second cycle. It may not work for you.
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23

Maybe:
Studies have shown that because birth control pills decrease the chance of ovulation, they may also reduce the formation of new functional ovarian cysts. They will not make a cyst you have now go away any faster then without medication.
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27

See an OB/GYN:
Issues of this nature are best answered on an individual basis after a full assessment by a professional. If you are trying to become pregnant it will also be helpful to establish a relationship with an obstetrician to help manage your pregnancy and delivery.
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29

Discuss with Gynecol:
Ovarian cysts do not cause any problem with your menstrual cycle and do not cause you not to be pregnant.
Treatment of ovarian cyst depends on the size and any associated symptoms.I will suggest you discuss your concerns with your gynecologist as he/she can answer your question.
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30

Months:
usually, once you start taking the pills, they will prevent further follicular cyst formation and prevent new cysts from forming. They usually prevent pre-existing cysts from growing further and may over time allow shrinkage. It does however takes weeks to months.
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31

Usually resolve:
It is normal for a small cyst to develop on the ovaries from time to time. Ovarian cysts are quite common in women during their reproductive years and may be a single cyst or many cysts. Most cysts are benign and only require monitoring. Most are cysts which develops from tissue that changes in the normal process of ovulation. They usually disappear within 6-8 weeks.
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32

Although:
follicular cysts are the most common type of benign ovarian cyst(and would be suppressed with OCPs), there are other types of cysts that aren't related to follicles or ovulation.
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34

Unlikely:
It is safe to take OCP for few months, but it is unlikely that they will help to reduce the cyst size. You have two alternatives-do nothing and wait or undergo surgery to remove the cyst. Not all cyst created equal-if cyst has complex appearance on sonogram, increasing in size, accompanied by pain, or elevated tumor markers such as CA-125 then it is more likely that woman will need surgery
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36

Pill vs.Ovarian cyst:
The oral contraceptive pill actually suppresses small ovarian cysts by hormonal regulation. If you were not taking the pill for a substantial amount of time, then they can re-form.
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37

Not uncommon:
Some women have spotting or light bleeding while using a birth control pill. This is unlikely to be anything dangerous but can be quite annoying. This will often stop after a while on its own. If the problem persists you could take a low dose estrogen for a few weeks, change pills or change your method of contraception. Hope this helps.
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39

No:
Birth control pills usually suppress the formation of ovarian cysts. Sometimes a cyst will form in-spite of the pill but they are much less common while on birth control pills. If your pain is persistent, you may want to see your Gyn as there are many causes of this type of pain. Best wishes!
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40

Trial and error:
there is no one "best" pill for ANY condition, although the pill manufacturers may try to make you believe there is. You need to work with a doctor who can go through the process with you. Good wishes.
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A cyst is a structure or mass that consists of a cellular lined sac. It is typically filled with fluid but may be filled with solid material. It can be congenital, traumatic, or acquired. They may develop nearly anywhere in the body and usually require complete excision for eradication or they are likely to recur. Fluid filled sacs that are not cellular lined may be called pseudo-cysts.
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Contraceptiion is a means of preventing conception (or fertilization). There are hormonal and non hormonal methods of preventing sperm and egg from meeting. Talk to your doctor or clinic about what options are best for you. There are short acting methods (condoms, pills, patch, ring) and long acting methods (iuds, implants).
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